Apparatus for printing upon hollow cylindrical and like articles.



8. I2. HOLLICK & s. THOMPSON. APPARATUS FOR PRINTING UPON HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL AND LIKE ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25. I9I4- I l l'YGAQQ, Patented Mar. 21,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

S. R. HOLLICK & S. THOMPSON APPARAIUS FOR PRINTING UPON HOLLOW CYLlNDRICAL AND LIKE ARTICLES.

APPLiCATlON FILED APR.25,1914. 1,176,449.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

QSHEETS-SHEET 2 33 dwarf ne 1,

S. R. HOLLICK & S. THOMPSON.

S E L C T R A C... K L D N A L A C Du D N I. C W 0 .L I. 0 H N O P U G N N R P R O F S U A R A P DI A APPLICATION FILED APR; 25. I914.

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Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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,sInN'EY ROBERT HOLLICK, or LONDON, AND sYnNnY THOMPSON, or MANcHEs'rnn,

ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING-UPON HOLLOW CYLIIiTDRICAL AND LIKE ARTICLES.

menses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916..

Application filed April 25, 1914. Serial No. 834,289.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for printing upon the exterior surfaces of hollow cylindrical or other round articles such for example as the empty shells or cases of shot cartridges. It is in connection with the printing of such .shells that the apparatus will be described, and from this description will be understood how other hollow articles than such shells may be similarly printed.

The type of apparatus to which these improvements relate is that comprising a face plate, disk, or the like provided with a series of spindles or studs arranged concentrically around the axis of the face plate and projecting from such face plate at equal dis tances apart with their axes parallel to each other and to the axis of the face plate.

Theshells to be printed are placed upon the spindles and the face plate is intermittently moved angularly so as to bring each of the shells in turn to a point where each is printed upon by a printing cylinder. Suitable devices are employed for putting the shells on to the spindles and for removing or extracting the printed shells from the spindles after printing.

In carrying this invention into effect the face plate has combined with it positive driving means by which the spindles carrying the shells are constantly positively rotated around their axes and are quite independent of any rotary motion which is frictionally imparted to the shells wheel is a pawl ing mechanism by which printed shells are withdrawn from their rotating spindles.

A is a face plate or disk disposedto have angular movement around a horizontal axis. From its face project six rotatable spindles or supports B, B B disposed concentrically around theaxis of the plate A at equal distances apart and with their axes parallel to each other and to the axis of the plate A. Secured to the same shaft as that to which the face plate is keyed is a toothed detent or ratchet wheel C. Combined with such D fixed on an .angularly movable arm E which is adapted to be oscillated from a crank pin F on a wheel G through the medium of a connecting rod H. The wheel G is driven by a pinion G on the first motion shaft. Each oscillation of the movable arm moves the wheel C and the face plate A through an angle of The different members are so relatively placed that each movement of the face plate results in its coming to rest with one of its spindles B opposite to the small printing cylinder J, another opposite to a device X by which a shell is put on to a spindle, and another opposite to a device Y by means of which the printed shells are in. turn re-,.

moved or extracted from the spindles. The shells fit with sufficient tightness on their spindles to be carried around by them and the outer surface of a shell forms a cylinder which is of the proper diameter to be brought into proper printing cooperatlon with the printing cylinder;-

K is a fixed bracket to which one end of a band K is secured. This band passes over a groove in the face plate A. The other end of the hand is adiustably secured at K". This hand or belt the tension of which can be adjusted at K acts as a brake to keep accompanying drawings illustrate the the face plate properly in the place to which it is moved by the ratchet and to maintain K position of rest.

M is a chute by means of which the shells are fed to the machine.

N is a feed wheel. or drum which has an intermittent motion correspondingto the intermittent motion of the face plate A. It is driven from the face plate shaft by the chain N, and is provided with six longitudinal grooves in its circumference. Each of these grooves cantake up a shell from the chute and carry it away from such chute.

O is a ram or plunger device by means of which shells carried by the feed wheel N from the chute are forced into' place on a spindle B. The required reciprocal motion is given to the plunger through a rack P, wheel Q, crank pin R thereon, connecting rod S hinged arm T and cam U, the result of their operations being that the wheel Q has angular motion imparted toit alternately'in opposite directions and recipi'ocates the plunger 0.

The printing roller or form'cylinder J is continuously driven in any suitable manner and its direction ofrotation and its disposition is such that it properly rolls in printin contact with each shell presented to it.

The ends of the spindles B which project behind the face plate A are each provided with a pinion b gearing with a wheel V which is loosely carried upon and so as to rotate around the shaft which carries the face plate. A. The wheel V is constantly driven from the hrst motion shaft through the pinion .The result of gearing with the wheel V the spindle pinions b, is that at the same time as the face plate'A. When .in the stopped position shown in Fig. 1

the spindles B are constantly rotated by the wheel V. They rotate at 'a different speed when the face plate is being turned than they do when the face plate is stationary, but the speed imparted to the spindles when the face plate is stationary is the proper printing speed for the printing cylinder with which the shells carried by them cooperate. v

The operation of the machine as far as feeding the cartridges on to the spindles and printing them is as follows: The feed wheel N moves. and stops in the same manner and the feed wheel N receives inone of its gaps or grodyes a shell from the bottom of the chute M. The'wheel N then has angular motion of imparted to it and carries the shell around to the'position indicated at 1 in Fig. 1, where it again comes to rest. The shell carried bv the feed wheel N is now opposite to the end of one of the spindles B (see Fig. ,2) and it is now. forced on to such spindle by the plunger 0 which moves inward through the gap in the feed wheel and forces the shell home on its spindle and then quickly retires and disengages itself from the feed wheel. As soon as this is effected the feed wheel and the face plate stop. The spindle carrying the shell is now in the position indicated at- 2 in Fig. 1; the

,feed wheel has taken up another shell in its following groove and'has brought such shell to the position 1 where another spindle of the face plate is in readiness to receive it and has it thrust upon it. After this has been done the'feed wheel and the face plate have another angular motion of 60 imparted to them. The first spindle which received a shell now comes to the position 3 and while'the face plate is at rest it rotates in printing contact with the printing cylinder move through an angle of 60 and again J. Each successive spindle as it now arrives which conveys them to a slowly revolving tray Z.

The printing or form cylinder J has a ga J longitudinally formed along it 'whic comes opposite to the shell which is to be printed when such shell moves to its printing position. Further rotation of the form cylinder when the shell is inplace and the face plate is at rest brings the printing matter or type into contact with the rotating shell. The impression being effected the gap J "again comes opposite to the shell,. and while such gap is opposite to it and the shell is thus out of contact with the form cylinder the next angular movement is given to the face plate.

The apparatus for withdrawing the printed shells from the spindles (herein generally referred to as extracting apparatuslis situated at the point Y in Fig. 1 and itsconstruction 'isillustrated in that figure and in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

Situated in prolongation of the axis of a spindle which is situated at the point Y when the face plate A is at rest, is a slide 8 which can reciprocate in a path in prolongation of such axis. This slide is shown in end view in Figs. land 4, in side elevation in Fig. 5 and in view from underneath in Fig. 6. The slide 8 reciprocates in a bracket 9. 'It is reciprocated by-a lever 10 and a link 11 which are operatedthrough a pin :0 extending from the lever 10-, to.a'carn groove in the face of the disk 12. The slide is provided with two hinged jaws 13 rovided with a spring 14 attached to t eir tails. This spring tends to keep the jaws open. Y

' 15 is a slide with a wedge shaped end moving on slide 8. It can be moved to the position shown in Fig. 6 with its taperedend engaging with the tails of the jaws to close such jaws and keep them closed, by means of the spring 16, angle lever 17, and pin 18 .which engages the sliding wedge with a slot in the angle lever. By means of the angle lever 17 and pin 18 the sliding wedge can be moved to the right of the position shown in Fig. 6 in order to disengage its end from the tails of the jaws and permit the jaws to open. The angle lever 17 is operated by means of a movable plate 19 which is brought up against or removed from the bowl '20 on the end of the lever 17. When the plate 19 is pressed sutficiently against the bowl 20. the slidingwedge 15 is withdrawn from the jaws and such jaws are open.

It is while the plate 19 is pressing the bowl 20 that the slide 8 completes its inward motion until its open jaws come over thev moves the wedge 15 to effect the opening of ously rotated printing roller to which the the jaws to release the shell. The move ments are then repeated. The plate is brought into and out of engagement with the bowl 20 by means of a lever 21 operated from a cam'plate '22. See Fig. 1.

It is evident of course that the face plate or disk may be provided withany other suitable number of spindles for carrying the shells than six. and that in connection with any other such suitable number the operations of placing a shell on a spindle at one rest. of printing such shell at the next or a subsequent'rest and of subsequently extracting such printed shell from its spindle may be effected.

What we claim is 1. In a machine for printing on cylindrical shells. the combination of a disk,

means for intermittently revolving =suchdisk. a plurality of concentrically arranged equidistant spindles on such disk adapted to carry the shells. means for positivelyand constantly rotating said spindles. a continuing the shell after printing,

shells are successively presented, a longitudinal gap in such roller, the roller being so timed that the shell is put in position and withdrawn without smudging, means for putting the shells on the said spindles and means for ejecting them after printing, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for printing on cylindrical shells the combination of a disk. means for intermittently revolving such disk, a plurality of concentrically arranged equidistant spindles on such disk adapted to carry the shells. means for positively and.

constantly rotating said spindles, a continuously rotated printing roller to which the shells are successively presented, a longitudinal gap in such roller, the roller being so timed that the shell is put in position and withdrawn without smudging, a feed drum for the shells, longitudinal pockets in such dinal gap in such roller. the roller be-- ing so timed that the shell is put in posi tion and withdrawn without smudging, a feed drum for the shells, longitudinal pockets in such feed drum. a chute adapted to supply shells to the said pockets. means for intermittently revolving the said drum to bring the shell opposite a carrier spindle, a plunger to force the shell. upon the spindle, a shell ejecting device comprising a slide adapted to be reciprocated, spring opened jaws upon such slide, a wedge adapted to close said jaws upon the shell, and means for Withdrawing said wedge, substantially as described.

And in witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' SIDNEY ROBERT HOLLICK.

-Witnesses FRANK A. HEYS, MALCOLM SMnTHUnsT. 

